Nick Ball was simply the higher man in a bodily, robust combat with Isaac Dogboe immediately.
Nick Ball is now in line for a WBC featherweight title shot after beating Isaac Dogboe by unanimous determination immediately in Manchester.
Ball (19-0, 11 KO) took a transparent win on scores of 116-111, 118-109, and 119-108. Bad Left Hook unofficially scored the combat 117-110 for Ball.
The combat was a WBC final eliminator for the belt at the moment held by Rey Vargas, who hasn’t defended since beating Mark Magsayo for the belt in July 2022, although he did have a combat — and loss — at 130 lbs earlier this yr towards O’Shaquie Foster.
Ball was type of dealing with a mirror picture of himself in some methods, with Dogboe (24-4, 15 KO) additionally a brief, compact, bodily sturdy fighter. But Ball was simply higher at that recreation, and referee Victor Loughlin was, to place it in a optimistic means, letting the lads combat, which meant Ball was in a position to make use of that physicality and blatantly shove Dogboe round.
The boxing, although, was additionally primarily managed by Ball. Dogboe seemed harmful all through and was aggressive in most rounds, however Ball was the higher man, and earned the win and his recognition as a prime 10 type of fighter at 126.
“I’m feeling good, it was a good performance from myself. I had to keep my cool in there and control the fight,” Ball mentioned. “I feel like I’ve just controlled that fight at world level. I’ve just put myself in position (to fight for a world title).”
Promoter Frank Warren mentioned that if Ball doesn’t get his shot on the WBC belt subsequent, it is going to be the combat after that, and that “we’ll make sure it’s over here” in the United Kingdom.
Nathan Heaney MD-12 Denzel Bentley
A large upset right here, as a result of Heaney, being actual, was by no means “supposed to be” a man who would win a combat at even the British title stage. He was a ticket-seller, well-liked, good native fan base in Stoke that traveled with him, and people followers noticed him obtain a dreamer’s dream, beating Bentley deservingly for the British middleweight title.
Heaney (18-0, 6 KO) received on scores of 114-114, 116-113, and 117-111. Bad Left Hook had it 115-113 for Heaney, who constructed a formidable first half lead on our card and held on via exhaustion late in the night time.
For Bentley (18-3-1, 15 KO), it is a crushing defeat. He appeared assured that he’d get a knockout, and that simply by no means got here. He’ll seemingly look again on this and see some evident tactical errors from his facet, even when he does really feel he did sufficient to win, which was not the overall opinion on the market.
“He had an opportunity and he took it, but I don’t know. Judges saw it how they saw it,” Bentley mentioned. “I don’t think he really landed anything compared to what I landed on him. A lot of the shots he threw I was catching on the gloves, but that’s how the judges scored it.”
“It’s absolutely phenomenal. People always say, ‘I dreamt of being a world champion, I always dreamt of being a British champion.’ I’ve got to be honest: I never thought I could,” Heaney mentioned.
Heaney mentioned he desires to have a British title combat in Stoke, and knew he needed to do one thing like this to earn that, and that he now hopes to convey a world title combat to Stoke City’s residence floor.
Undercard outcomes
- Liam Davies TKO-5 Vincenzo La Femina (2:50): Davies got down to get a stoppage, and he acquired it. He additionally wound up on the canvas as soon as, a flash knockdown the place he was caught off-balance and throwing, nevertheless it speaks to the dangerous model he ran with right here. Davies (15-0, 7 KO) retains the European 122 lb belt and is on the hunt for a world title shot, with Frank Warren saying he thinks Davies is “a couple more fights” from going for it. La Femina (13-1, 7 KO) was over-matched however very recreation, got here there to combat and to win, simply didn’t occur. La Femina was dropped in the third (earlier than dropping Davies in the identical spherical), then in the fourth once more, after which it was stopped with Davies battering the Italian late in the fifth.
- Solomon Dacres MD-10 Michael Webster (95-95, 96-94, 96-93): Yet once more, not a formidable efficiency from Dacres (8-0, 2 KO), who had a brief discover, small corridor opponent and nonetheless by no means actually dominated the combat or something. The low ceiling on the 30-year-old heavyweight appears very clear should you aren’t the individual selling him and saying in any other case. Webster, who acquitted himself fairly properly all issues thought of, is now 9-1 (6 KO).
- Harry Scarff UD-12 Ekow Essuman (115-113, 116-113, 117-112): Essuman’s run because the British and Commonwealth welterweight champion involves an finish right here, and it is a enormous win for Scarff (13-2, 3 KO), and with out that means to be damning with faint reward — though it would come off that means — that is mainly the height of what he may have realistically hoped for in his boxing profession, and it’s a honest achievement. He scrapped his well past a long-running champ, and has discovered one thing at home stage as a welterweight. Essuman falls to 19-1 (7 KO), and any minor hope of attending to world stage in his mid-30s just about goes with the “0.”
- Ema Kozin SD-10 Hannah Rankin (94-96, 96-94, 98-92): Decent combat to move time, mainly. Kozin (24-1-1, 12 KO) now has the WBC and WBO belts at 154, which have been vacant coming in. It’s a division with completely no depth, which is how Rankin (13-7, 3 KO) acquired one more crack at gold. Or pewter or no matter they really placed on these belts they pay $200 to have made.
- Nathaniel Collins MD-12 Zak Miller: Scores have been 114-114 even, then two 115-113 playing cards for Collins (14-0, 7 KO), who was an enormous betting favourite and needed to scrap to retain his British and Commonwealth belts at 126. Miller falls to 13-1 (3 KO) in defeat. This didn’t truly air on the ESPN+ broadcast, however apparently was fairly combat.
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